TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and other short-form media have decreased our attention spans. As shorter content forms become more common, social media users will have more trouble paying attention in the future.

Do not even ask me the amount of times I checked my phone while writing this article, because I’ve lost count. As I have become more addicted to watching TikToks and Reels on my phone, I have noticed my attention span dramatically decrease.

In the past few years, I’ve realized that I can’t sit down and watch a movie without doing something else to simultaneously stimulate my brain. I get bored when watching a movie or show, and I wonder how the rise of short form-media will continue to affect me and other social media users in the future.

Short-form media is defined as content that is less than 10 minutes long or less than 1,200 words. This type of content is typically displayed on a cell phone, making it more accessible for consumers. In addition, short forms of content display a variety of entertainment genres that viewers can easily absorb.

As technology advances, Facebook, YouTube and other social media platforms have become readily available on our personal devices. We can be almost anywhere at any time and engage in our favorite forms of media.

Social media usage is linked to our brain’s reward center, which releases dopamine when we engage in enjoyable activities. This constant brain stimulation from our devices has caused our attention spans to decrease because we have become acclimated to the dopamine rush we get as we jump from different content platforms.

“Phones and short forms of media play the most important role in high school students’ decreasing attention spans,” Reporter Tessa Nussenbaum wrote. “Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are designed to make our brains adapt to only receiving small and short forms of media at once.”
As we become more addicted to short forms of entertainment, I believe that our real-world interactions with people will change. Conversations with people will become shorter, increasing the frequency of shallow relationships. People will be less connected to society and more focused on the entertainment from their devices that brings them more joy.

Attention switching has also been correlated with stress. In a 2023 interview with the American Psychological Association, Gloria Mark, PhD, explained that in her research she has found a “correlation between frequency of attention switching and stress.”

When participants from Mark’s study shifted their attention, their blood pressure increased and the participants recorded feeling more stressed. Mark argues that our shortened attention spans are unfavorable because unnecessary stress can negatively affect our health.

As our attention spans decline, our health and our relationships with others will become disconnected. So, next time you think about aimlessly scrolling on your favorite social media platform, go outside. Maybe talk to a friend, or even touch some grass because we need to put down our screens and connect with those around us to better our society.

Editor’s Note: All opinion section content reflects the views of the individual author only and does not represent a stance taken by The Collegian or its editorial board.

America’s Founding Fathers prided themselves on creating a free country for its citizens, especially one where people could speak unencumbered by government restrictions.

Controversies surrounding free speech have become more prominent in recent years; for example, Harrison Butker’s commencement speech at Benedictine College in May ignited significant backlash for his anti-LGBTQIA+ comments and misogynistic undertones. Similarly, many Colorado State University students were outraged at Riley Gaines’ presence on campus in April due to her outward scorn for transgender athletes competing in sports.

Free speech is the crux of America; however, universities have their own policies regarding it. Speakers like Gaines and Butker prove that free speech, while important, undermines certain policies and can even damage them.

CSU’s policy on discrimination and harassment states that the university is committed to creating an inclusive environment and “prohibits discrimination and harassment … by or against any member of or visitor to CSU.”

On April 3, Gaines spoke on behalf of Turning Point USA in favor of banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports.

Her speech incorporated a significant amount of religious rhetoric. While CSU’s policy encourages practicing one’s religion, there’s a fine line between practicing it and using it to go after certain groups of people.

“We are denying, of course, biblical truth but objective truth,” Gaines said. “The most basic of truths at that: man and woman.”

Not everyone believes in the Bible. Christianity, while prominent, isn’t proven to be the “objective truth” to non-Christians. Transgender and gender-fluid people have existed since the beginning of humanity. In certain Native American tribes, the term “two-spirit” has been used to describe individuals who don’t fit with their biological identities.

There’s no denying that there have been and will always be people who don’t identify with the traditional Western binary. Using Christianity as a measure of “objective truth” outwardly denies the validity of these individuals and therefore violates CSU’s discrimination policy.

Even on a highly religious campus like Benedictine College, free speech can still violate and damage the school’s policy. According to the Benedictine College student handbook, “The college prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, marital status, parental status, genetic information or any other classification protected by law.”

On May 11, Butker, an openly Christian football player for the Kansas City Chiefs, gave a commencement speech that angered millions. He referred to LGBTQIA+ pride as “the deadly sins sort of pride that has a whole month dedicated to it.” Openly calling an entire group of people sinful in a religious context is openly discriminatory, directly compromising Benedictine’s policy.

Free speech is a massively important part of the nation’s history and part of what makes America unique. However, when used to discriminate and openly disapprove of entire groups of people, it absolutely damages policies set in place by universities like CSU and Benedictine. 

America is great because people can speak their minds, but hate has no place here, especially on college campuses. College is where young people are expected to grow, change, learn and find themselves during their entrance into adulthood. It’s a chaotic and beautiful time in students’ lives, a time in which they should feel and be protected by their school’s policies.

Reach Addy Dollaghan at letters@collegian.com or on Twitter @ADollaghan.

Read The Collegian’s coverage of the Alexander Mountain Fire for updates.

Reach Hannah Parcells at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @hannahparcells.

Members of the Eugene Public Library Foundation are urging the Eugene City Council to increase funding for the downtown library amid budget cuts. 

For over a year, the Eugene Public Library Foundation has been aware of budget cuts that the city has now implemented in light of a revenue shortfall. Since the changes have been implemented to the biennial budget, the impact on the library has become more apparent.

“It’s so dire. They not only lost staff, but they also cannot replenish the library programs, books or materials,” Dana Fleming, executive director of the Eugene Public Library Foundation said. 

According to Fleming, the library represents around 3% of the city’s operating budget while absorbing 16% of the city’s total cuts. This cut removes approximately 15% of the library’s funding — roughly $2 million annually. 

In addition to the $2 million annual cut, the library also received “full-time equivalent” cuts. According to Fleming, this translates to an additional $180,000 on top of general budget city budget cuts. 

“It doesn’t seem fair at all,” Eugene City Councilor Emily Semple said. “I know there was a tremendous amount of work and meetings. Nobody wants to cut, but we’re not in good shape right now.” 

Semple referred to the revenue shortfall that has been pressuring the city council to make cuts to many organizations, including the library. 

According to Semple, some of the factors that are destabilizing the city’s budget are the Comcast franchise, Public Employees Retirement System price increases, construction costs and a cap on how much property taxes can be increased. 

The cap on property taxes is one of the reasons why the Eugene Public Library Levy of 2020, itself a renewal of a 2015 levy, was in effect a temporary property tax  enacted to help fund the library. 

The city formerly allocated money for the EPL from the American Rescue Plan Act. However, these one-time funds have since been used.

The library levy of 2020, despite providing ~17% of the total library funds, has made some aspects of running the library more difficult. The levy demands the library be open 160 hours a week, but meeting this requirement with fewer staff than before has prompted library operators to consider changing the hours of operation. 

“When you’re down around 13 to 15 staff members and you have that number of hours to fulfill by law, you have a really hard time,” Fleming said. 

The library is considering staying open later during the week and only four hours on Sundays. 

“We would have to figure out more things, like down the road [that would] require that we close the branch,” Fleming said when asked what would happen if they continued getting the amount of money they receive now. “That would be terrible.” 

According to Semple, the city council is looking for new sources of revenue to help reinvest in the library. 

“Everyone hates to cut anything from the library. The library is our jewel,” Semple said. “But at the same time we need to have our roads operable…We are looking at what is keeping us alive physically.” 

The City of Minneapolis Health Department is offering free immunizations at pop-up clinics. 

Clinics are offered at farmers markets, neighborhood block parties and back-to-school nights. A variety of vaccines are available, including COVID-19, mpox and tetanus.

Sebastiana Cervantes, a senior public health specialist, said the project began in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. The department did not just want to focus on immunizations but on creating a relationship with the community.

“Our job as the health department is to meet our community where they’re at and that was why we decided to do these pop-up clinics in tandem with our local organizations,” Cervantes said. “We’re here to foster trust. We’re here to say, ‘We want you to be as healthy as possible, and we’re going to give our community members all the options and ways of doing that.’”

The City provides all resources and staff needed for the events at no cost. They offer education and COVID-19 tests in addition to vaccines at larger clinics.

COVID-19 is the only vaccine available at every clinic hosted, which comes at a time when cases are on the rise in Minnesota and the United States. 

The health department said they hope the clinics will reach people who otherwise would not have access to vaccinations. Most clinics can provide vaccines to the uninsured at no cost. 

“We’ve had such success because we’re showing up even when we don’t necessarily have to be there,” Cervantes said. “But we should be there always and communities should be able to call on us at any time, whether it be about vaccinations or just general health issues.” 

With over 50,000 students, the University of Minnesota is a large community in Minneapolis that the city hopes to work with more in the future, Health Department Spokesperson Scott Wasserman said.

Ryan Fauglid, a third-year public health student, said vaccines are particularly important for University students who interact with so many people.

“Vaccines are one of our number one preventative ways to ensure the health and safety of all students,” Fauglid said. “Especially at a university the size of the University of Minnesota, we run the greater risk of both catching and spreading COVID-19.” 

With the upcoming school year, Cervantes said students should make sure they are prepared by discussing with their healthcare providers if vaccinations may be an option to protect against illness. 

“No one wants to be sick,” Cervantes said. “No one wants to miss classes. No one wants to miss football games. No one wants to miss the concerts going on during the school year or during the summer.” 

Flu shots will be available at clinics once the new vaccine is released for the 2025 flu season. There is a vaccination calendar on the Health Department’s website with information on the latest clinics.

“We’re really just trying to provide health services, vaccinations to our community members to build healthier communities,” Cervantes said.

 Local funk band comprised of Pittsburg State University students uses a theme of extraterrestrials and cryptids in their online presence and stage personas to bring a blend of funk, jazz, blues, and rock that is as out of this world as the band name, “The Little Green Men” suggests.  

The members – Jude Wolfe, a junior music major on keyboards; Mitch Crocker, a sophomore majoring in “wood” on bass guitar; Joe Lancaster, a senior music education major on trumpet; Jocelyn Goodwin, a junior music performance major on saxophone and clarinet; Evan Harries, a senior art major on guitar; and Jack Stefanoni a sophomore music performance major on two snare drums and a tom – make up a band that uses their love of each other to blend and meld to get the right vibe for funk improvisation.  

Crocker set the tone about the band’s vibe with, “I study wood and I’m in a funk band with my friends. Technically, it is about aliens, but furthermore it is about getting seriously groovy I would say.” He added, “We got a good crew going on. The whole reason we are passionate about it is because it’s very much a thing where there’s no expectations for musicianship and we are constantly blown away. I’m usually sitting in the basement playing bass with my friends and I’d say six times out of ten, I hear the craziest guitar solo I’ve ever heard in my life. It’s great man, and those are my friends. And it’s like that for everyone.” Lancaster followed up with, “The basement practices go so hard; we really hit our stride down there.” 

Harries explained that the group met here at Pitt State in jazz band, playing together academically before deciding to play together for fun.  

Harries said, “We all met through jazz band which is where we play in school, but Mitch and Jude live with me, so we play at home a lot so have that shared musical space as well.” Crocker added, “It’s a recipe for some solid laughs and japeries and whatnot.” 

The band’s website (TheLittleGreenMen.com) plays into the aesthetics of space and cryptozoology, going as far as to list the members of the band with mockups of government files on the band members’ personas. Wolfe went into the thought behind this.   

“Parliament-Funkadelic had that whole space aesthetic going on, and since this is a funk band, with respect to the history of funk with their space aesthetic, I thought it was cool to go in that direction.” Said Wolfe. “It’s not super deep, it’s a name that is unique but familiar, I didn’t come up with that, the FBI used that allegedly to refer to aliens. It’s more fun to watch people jam when they are pretending to be aliens who are eating deviled eggs.”  

With a smile, Lancaster spoke about how his fellow band mates are his biggest inspiration while playing. 

“I mean, when we’re down there (in the basement) practicing, I love listening to everybody contribute their bit.” Lancaster said. “I’m like, ‘ooh, this would sound pretty cool,’ and then I do it. Then Jocelyn picks up on it and it just evolves into this song. It’s some of my favorite stuff to do, because everyone has their own little idea. So, I think my band mates are my inspiration.” Wolfe reacted with, “Ooh, that’s so flattering, that’s so sweet man. Joe Lancaster is my number one inspiration.” 

Wolfe took a more genre-oriented direction to explaining the influences of the band.  

“Everyone brings their own thing to the table, everyone’s got such a wide variety of influence, it’s not just funk.” Wolfe further explained, “Like Mitch brings a lot of Mid-West emo and heavy metal into it, and Evan brings the jam band and classic rock, and Jack is all about that weird free jazz – I don’t even know what it is. Everyone pitches in a completely different unrelated style but it all kind of congeals.”  

The band members talked about how much fun they have with the space themes and how it also influences their creativity outside of the music.  

“The ARG’s (Alternate Reality Games) and the extended universes that people make online get people sucked in, and they get me sucked in, so it’s cool to have ‘Meet the Men’ [the band member biography section on the website] talk about Mitch like he’s some kind of eldritch horror residing in the woods devouring deviled eggs, it’s just funny.” Crocker jumped in to add, “It’s such a wild and outlandish bit that I think we just spontaneously immediately committed to but it’s somehow my favorite thing, and I think the intergalactic alien thing translates well.”  

Harries mentioned how the “gimmick” inspires his art before showing concepts for band merchandise and plugging his art on Instagram (@evans_art_stuff). 

“I’ve been in a bunch of bands and in the past, I’ve never had a gimmick, and it’s fun to have the alien stuff because it lets me make all kinds of alien related art or shirts and makes it a lot more fun to get in on.” 

There is a lot of love in the band, both for the music and for each other. 

Wolfe said, “I think I remember the waitress at Root [Coffee House] saying, ‘It’s clear just from the way you guys play that you all just love each other,’ and I think that is really cool.” Crocker added, “We wrote a song about how much we love Jack…” Wolfe finished that thought with, “Yeah, we did, and it’s probably one of our best songs. What I find really neat is that everyone in the band is just like my friends. I think they are the best people, so we hang out a lot, I grill up some burgers, we play cards, and I got some strange records and we put those on.”  

Unfortunately, due to prior engagements, Stefanoni and Goodwin were unavailable for the interview. To catch the band live, check out their website for upcoming shows and bring deviled eggs. 

Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing story. Updates will be provided as they become available.

The wildfire burning in Larimer County north of U.S. 34 and west of Loveland, Colorado, has spread to cover 3,500 acres and is 0% contained as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. 

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the Masonville area and Glade Road from Highway 34 to Indian Creek. Evacuation orders are also in place for Drake to Dam Store along Highway 34, including Storm Mountain and Palisade Mountain, Waltonia Road, Sylvan Dale to Ellis Ranch, Eden Valley to Sunrise Ranch and County Road 18E from Pole Hill to Pinewood Reservoir.

Larimer County Board of Commissioners Chair John Kefalas declared a disaster emergency on Tuesday in order to access emergency management resources at the local and state levels.

According to the USFS, more than 200 firefighters are working to contain the fire, which they took command of early Tuesday morning. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office is coordinating evacuations, and residents in the evacuation area are asked to text LCEVAC to 888-777 for further information. NoCoalert.org is also providing alerts.

Voluntary evacuation orders for Hidden Valley east of Devils Backbone including Ridge Parkway and Spring Glade Road to the north were issued just after noon on Tuesday.

The fire was initially reported to first responders in a 911 call at approximately 10:38 a.m. Monday morning, according to the LCSO. 

In addition to crews responding to the fire on the ground, air support dropped water and fire retardant on the fire until 8 p.m. Monday. Crews are still working to contain the fire and are facing near-critical fire weather in the area with high temperatures and low humidity, the USFS said.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert on Tuesday due to heavy smoke from the fire.

Find the latest updates as of Tuesday, July 30 below.

Second wildfire breaks out south of Alexander Mountain Fire

The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order at 1:53 p.m. Tuesday for the area of Eagle Ridge near Lyons due to a wildfire in the Stone Canyon area.

The second fire is burning less than 20 miles south of the Alexander Mountain Fire that was first reported Monday, July 29. 

Fire restrictions were enacted in parts of Boulder County July 1 due to high fire danger in the area.

The BCSO announced on social media that crews are actively responding to the fire in the Stone Canyon area near Lyons and said that more information will be released as soon as possible.

Alexander Mountain Fire spreads to 3,500 acres, 3245 under mandatory evacuation

A 4 p.m. press conference on Tuesday updated the public that 3245 people were under a mandatory evacuation order, according to information provided by John Feyen, Larimer County Sheriff, in his briefing during the press conference.

“Unfortunately, we have some areas where there is some impingement on residential structures,” Feyen’s said. “We don’t know if (the structures are) involved or not. We just know that the fire is backing into some of those areas… our number one priority after the evacuations, is keeping our firefighters safe as well, and so we haven’t had a chance to put teams into those areas just because of the fire activity.”

Feyen said that fire activity is currently at the north side of Highway 34, in the mouth of the Big Thompson Canyon.

Fire growth is being observed in three cardinal directions, moving to the north and the east, and the backside of the fire is experiencing what Mike Smith, incident command for U.S Forest Service called “slope reverse,” where the fire crawls up the backside of the hill aggressively as a result of winds pushing the blaze uphill.

“We’ve just had a wind shift, which we’re all paying very close attention to,” Smith said. “We’ve had wind basically out of the west, out of the north, but a little bit, but now it’s swung at a much stronger northerly wind, and you can see (the) smoke bending over.”

Smith said the Type 3 Incident Command Structure that Larimer County has deployed will be aided tomorrow by a Complex Incident Management Team.

“If we can’t get in and engage this fire safely and make sure that our folks can get in and get out of the job that they need to, we’re not going to commit those resources,” Smith said. “So we’re doing what we can, where we can, when we can.”

Smith was hopeful in his statement that hotshot crews would be able to aid firefighting efforts, but resources are in short supply.

“We’re at 0% containment currently,” Smith said. “I hope that we’re going to see that start to improve, but it’s going to really depend on Mother Nature giving us a break.”

Animal evacuations

The Larimer County Fair begins Friday, Aug. 2, bringing 4H animals and other large livestock to the area that is currently threatened by the fire, in addition to local livestock. Feyen said that his team was working with Island Grove Regional Park in Greeley to move the animals. Colorado State University Veterinary Services are aiding in the safe transport of all animals.

“So this is especially important if you get a notification of a voluntary evacuation and you have a large animal, we don’t want you doing that at night,” Feyen said. “We don’t want to help you do that at night. We want to do it when it’s safe. So help us help you and move those animals out when it’s early, and help us make arrangements for that so we can keep you and your family safe.”

Reach Hannah Parcells and Allie Seibel at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @CSUCollegian.

“Twisters” spun into theaters on Friday, July 19 and took the box office by storm. Bringing in $31 million on opening day, both fans of the original and new audiences were rushing to theaters to see this fun summer film.

A Nod to the Original

There are plenty of nods to the original 1996 film “Twister” — including a cameo from Bill Paxton’s son.

Daisy Edgar Jones’ Kate is seen sporting an outfit similar to the one Helen Hunt wears when audiences first meet her as Jo.

Glen Powell’s Tyler is seen chasing tornados in a red Dodge Ram similar to the red truck Bill Paxton’s Bill Harding drives in the original. Tyler’s may be more souped-up than Bill’s was but it’s still a touching homage to Paxton.

All of the characters have combined elements of the original crew in the most beautiful way, while still maintaining their own personality. Kate has both the bold personality of Jo and elements of Bill’s story. Tyler, being the charismatic tornado wrangler, embodies Bill while also capturing the feeling of returning to your roots that Jo represented.

Of course, the original tornado-measuring machine, Dorothy, makes an appearance in the opening sequence, immediately giving fans a sense of nostalgia and taking them back to the world of “Twister.”

Similar Story With a Twist

Despite “Twisters” being a stand-alone sequel, it mirrors the original. After leaving due to a traumatic event, a retired storm-chaser finds themselves sucked back into the lifestyle when someone from their past comes knocking. Still trying to keep their distance by stating “I’m not back,” they end up staying when they realize how passionate they are about it and how much difference their technology can make.

While there are still moments of tension, the romance is less of a focus than it was in the original. Instead, the intense action sequences of the tornadoes, the science behind them and the destruction were the focus.

Despite director Lee Isaac Chung stating that climate change purposely wasn’t mentioned in the movie because he didn’t want to preach a message, the film’s topic of extreme and worsening weather couldn’t help but reflect the climate crisis we live in.

With a strong focus on science and how research and technology can make a difference in the community, this entertaining summer movie might just end up inspiring the next generation of meteorologists.

Powerful Soundtrack

This movie was very soundtrack-heavy with an accompanying album featuring 29 new songs. Sometimes it was a bit much, feeling like every moment had its own theme song even when it wasn’t necessary.

The album features the hottest names in country music right now including music from veterans like Miranda Lambert, Luke Combs and Shania Twain, to new artists Jelly Roll and Benson Boone. Combs’ gritty “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma” gives listeners the chance to feel like they’re storm chasers and was a huge part of getting audiences excited for the film.

The insane action sequences, fun accompanying album and stellar cast make for the perfect rollicking summer flick.

m.ponce@dailyutahchronicle.com

@u_mponce

The post ‘Twisters’: Are You Ready To Go Storm Chasing? first appeared on The Daily Utah Chronicle.

I have a book-buying problem. 

There are countless times I have stopped in bookstores, promising myself I would not buy anything, and walked out with two or three books in hand. I would like to say I have read all of the books I bought, but this is simply not the case. Even so, they are still some of my most prized possessions. 

The thing about physical books is they could be seen as somewhat obsolete. With e-readers and audiobook apps, the need for physical books as a means to read is long gone. 

Even for physical books, we have websites like Amazon and even Target aisles for us to buy books, compared to stores that are solely devoted to them. 

We do not need bookstores to buy books, and we do not even need physical books to read them. 

But against the odds, bookstores remain standing, supported fiercely by their surrounding neighborhoods and constantly adjusting to ever-changing needs. 

Just a few blocks off campus, The Book House in Dinkytown is one example of an independent bookstore working to serve its community.

Matt Hawbaker, co-owner of The Book House, said as an independent bookstore, the store can adapt to the needs around it. 

“It’s really about the connection to the community,” Hawbaker said. “The used bookstore situation is a great example because our customers are also our suppliers. It’s a reciprocal relationship that we have with them.” 

Hawbaker said The Book House’s book curation differs from other independent bookstores because of its proximity to campus. 

“We have a very academic focus,” Hawbaker said. “We probably have a larger philosophy section than most places, especially in the Twin Cities. At other stores, it would probably be hard to sustain that.”

The thing about local bookstores, compared to websites or even larger chains, is that their curation and their provided space is truly a reflection of their patrons. 

Wild Rumpus is another Twin Cities independent bookstore, with a specific focus on children and young adults, as well as animals. Timothy Otte, co-owner and bookseller, said one of the store’s guiding principles is accessibility for their community.

“Our big thing is really access and supporting young readers in discovering the world around them,” Otte said. “Helping them learn to live in such a way that is kind and generous and whimsical and fun.” 

Otte emphasized how Wild Rumpus works to provide a safe space for young readers, regardless of what they purchase. 

“We are a bookstore and our goal is retail and commerce,” Otte said. “But the really good bookstore is kind of more than that. We do all sorts of community-facing things, whether that is bringing authors to schools when they’re on tour, to doing story times and author events in our store. Our goal is never to pressure that person into buying something, but just being a place where someone can come and feel safe and seen for a little while.” 

For Otte, the appeal of physical books is the ownership you get with them.

“The thing about a book is that once you buy it, it’s yours,” Otte said. “There’s no major corporation that can take it out of your library, and I think that that’s really important in an era of streaming. Buying physical books, that’s mine. I can write in it. I can throw it outside in the rain. I can do whatever, and no one can stop me. And I think that is an argument for physical media generally.” 

When you own a book, you can go back to it again and again. The story can grow and change along with you. 

Located in the Mill City neighborhood, Milkweed Books is a Twin Cities independent bookstore that acts as an extension of its independent publishing house, Milkweed Editions. 

Zoey Gulden, the manager of Milkweed Books, said their goal is to provide a community around the books they sell. 

“Our mission is, formally, to publish transformative literature and then create an engaged community around it,” Gulden said. “So having a brick-and-mortar store means that our engaged community is specifically in this space.” 

As an independent bookstore and publisher, Milkweed may not drive as much traffic as the typical Barnes and Noble store, but Gulden said their role in the bookselling community should not be understated. 

“Without independent booksellers, books would not be sold,” Gulden said. “It’s the main way to drive sales for authors. So publishers, of course, put the money into the production and the distribution, and they pay the authors royalties for their work. But if you don’t have independent booksellers who are independently championing books with no real attachment to how it’s going to do otherwise, books would not get into the hands of readers.” 

Gulden added that the sale of physical books is about much more than just their writers. 

“The fact of the physical books is that it takes a lot of people to make a beautiful book,” Gulden said. “It’s not just the writer, it’s also the copy editor, the fact checker, everybody in production, all the printing houses, the art people get paid to put their art on our covers. There’s a very robust economy that is working for a book.” 

Even for bestsellers, the amount of people who work on a book may be greater than the people who read it. By this logic, the making and selling of physical books is a largely inefficient process. 

In saying this, I am not trying to dissuade you from books and bookstores, but rather, show in spite of this inefficiency, how remarkable they are.

Bookstores are places holding an infinite number of stories, along with their physical and tangible representations. They provide an invitation to the world that any number of these stories could be yours to keep.